


interesting concept (poor execution)

by supernaturalsun



Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: (sometimes these idiots talk about their feelings), 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Angst, Fuckbuddies, Hate Sex, M/M, i'm the new ceo of long ass apology scenes i'm sorry, life in the hotel bubble
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-08
Updated: 2020-08-08
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:08:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25785643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/supernaturalsun/pseuds/supernaturalsun
Summary: Matthew didn't plan to spend weeks in the same hotel as the guy who seemed to hate him the most in the league.He didn't mean to return him the tie he'd left in Matthew's room at the All Star Game when they hooked up just the one time. And to do so at dinner in front of all their teammates.Anyway, as always in Matthew's life :shit happens.
Relationships: Leon Draisaitl/Matthew Tkachuk, Matthew Tkachuk/Original Male Character (phone sex friends)
Comments: 21
Kudos: 218
Collections: NHL Hotel Hoedown 2020





	interesting concept (poor execution)

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by Anonymous in the [HotelHoedown](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/HotelHoedown) collection. 



> **Prompt:**
> 
> The Oilers and Flames stay at the same Hotel for the Playoffs (i know thats not the case, sadly) and Matthew runs into Leon at Breakfast which makes him remember that they drunkenly hooked up after the All-Star game and he still has Leons tie in his possession. 
> 
> or
> 
> Matthew causes drama and gay panic by giving Leon his tie back infront of his whole team at Breakfast, resulting in them "talking".
> 
> The outline of this fic has been written on the 13th of July, the first draft finished on the 19th of July. It implies that :  
>  \- I didn’t know about the EDM/CGY exhibition game that happened on the 29th and completely ignored it.  
>  \- I obviously had to imagine the outcome of games and how the brackets will go.
> 
> This is the longest fic I've ever written and I'm very exited to have feedback about it.
> 
> I also did an aesthetic post which can be found [here](https://legendsnart.tumblr.com/tagged/fics-aesthetics).

Matthew has been in the bubble hotel for approximately two hours when he runs into Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in an elevator on his way to dinner. He outright freezes.

“Tkachuk,” Connor has the decency to greet him. Or maybe he’s just trying to make Matthew realize that he’s in the way of the doors and yeah sure, Matthew will move and get himself in the back where he can’t feel Leon staring at him with a mean gaze.

As they make their way to the first floor, it comes back to Matthew, how Gio had told everyone that among the other teams they would share their hotel with, the Oilers would be there. Their captain had warned them that he expected for them to keep out of trouble, his eyes fixed on Matthew for that last part. 

Yesterday, he’d rolled his eyes. _Oilers, same hotel as us, okay, whatever._ He obviously hadn’t realized that would mean having to face them -having to be face to face with _one of them_ in particular- when he wasn’t expecting it.

Connor and Leon have probably been out of the elevator for a full minute when Matthew realizes that they have arrived and finally comes out to join his teammates. Making his way to the restaurant, Matthew shakes his head, getting his bearings back. So he has to share an hotel with Oilers and run into Leon from time to time ? So be it, he knows how to be a grown up about it.

○○○

It’s good to be back with all the guys and Matthew’s in a good mood when he comes back to his room. He feels even better when he finds a text from Jake on his phone after he’s done brushing his teeth.

Matthew hits the FaceTime button while he’s falling into bed.

He met Jake on Grindr a couple weeks after the beginning of lockdown. He’d downloaded the app to have something to do. He knew he couldn’t actually meet with people but talking and looking would do while they had to.

Matthew had to go through some ugly attempts at seduction and even uglier dick pics before he found Jake but they hit it off pretty easily, flirting and sending each other photos of various parts of their body for a while before moving to the better stuff. 

They hadn’t got the chance to meet for real yet, the situation still quite dangerous when Matthew started to go out more for practices. Neither of them wanted a serious relationship but Matthew already knew their chemistry in a bed should be good. In the meantime, they had sex in all the social distancing acceptable ways, which included nudes, sexting, phone sex and skype sex. Matthew was a master at taking artful pics of his body and finding out when the house was empty to have orgasms under his parents roof.

“Hey, you’re looking good. Flight went okay ?” Jake asks with a smile when he appears on Matthew’s screen, the phone carefully placed on his bedside table so Matthew can watch while still being seen.

“I’m good, I’d be better if you were wearing less clothes though,” he throws back.

“Needy,” Jake comments while taking off his shirt first and then his shorts. “Someone already got under your nerves ?”

Matthew’s taking off his underwear and Leon is the last thing he want to think about when he wraps one hand around his dick. “Do you want to be my therapist or are you gonna touch yourself ?”

His phone’s screen might be tiny but Matthew does catch Jake’s eyeroll. After that he watches Jake groan as he slips his fingers beneath the elastic of his boxers and then, everything’s familiar and oh so good. 

○○○

It’s easy to forget about Leon when he has practice the next day but when Matthew is back, he finally decides to take care of his suitcase and to empty its content inside the drawers of his room instead of living out of it for weeks, and that’s when he finds it.

It doesn’t make him pause at first because sure, Matthew packed responsibly and he’d been careful to not forget anything important, but he couldn’t name every piece of clothing he’d taken with him, that was asking too much of him. So Matthew puts the thing away and move on to his shirts and his pants and he’s reaching for sweatpants when his brain catches up and he has to do a double-take.

Yeah, nope, he definitely doesn’t own a navy blue silk tie with some very thin orange stripes. The material is sure nice to the touch and the pattern would have been pretty if only it hadn’t been in fucking Edmonton colors.

Once he’s made the connection, it’s easy to know who this tie belongs to. Easy to remember when he took it off its owner to undo the top button of his shirt and have a better access to his throat, littering it with kisses and bites, eliciting moans until he’d been brought back up into a bruising kiss. 

Of course _fucking Leon Draisaitl_ had to forget his tie when he left Matthew’s room in the middle of the night after they hooked up at the All Star Game. Matthew had done the sensible thing and put it in the very bottom of his suitcase and now here they were again, six months later.

Matthew takes one second to sniff the fabric and he immediately feels stupid (or course it lost Leon’s odor a long time ago), stuffing the tie into his hoodie pocket to get it out of his sight and to deal with it later.

○○○

Supposedly, Matthew doesn’t plan to deal with the tie situation anytime soon except all goes to shit that same evening because that’s just the way his life is, apparently.

He’s having dinner, minding his own business when Noah asks if anyone got a tissue and Matthew puts his hand in his sweatshirt’s pocket to see if he has any. That’s when he comes in contact with Leon’s tie instead.

Matthew freezes, blush trying to settle on his cheeks while his eyes go searching for Leon, who he finds just two tables away. Leon catches him staring, disapproving look on his face, and no, Matthew will not go through that every time they cross each other in that goddamn bubble hotel. He waits for Leon to gets up to get his dessert to join him by the fruits station.

Leon frowns at him, dark eyes and everything, and Matthew takes a deep breath before pulling the tie from his pocket and presenting it to Leon. “Here, this belongs to you, I don’t want it anywhere near my room.”

The frown intensifies and then, Leon must realize what this is about because his face turns red, hard lines making him look severe, his anger similar to what Matthew’s use to see when he’s on the ice with him.

The silence stretch between them and Matthew, he doesn’t know what he was expecting but it’s not like he came there with a plan, exactly. After what feels like an eternity but probably last a minute, he pushes the tie into Leon’s hand, their fingers brushing, forcing him to take the piece of fabric.

Leon must grab it more out of reflex than anything because his mouth is still not forming any words, the vein on his forehead threatening to pop. He probably wants to strangle Matthew but he still looks pretty, somehow, and Matthew can’t go down that road, needs to stop staring at him.

“Anyway, bye.”

Matthew gives Leon one last glance and then he’s going back to his seat, the entirety of the table looking at him in silence.

“What the fuck Matty ?” Jonny starts, probably voicing all of his teammates incomprehension at once.

“Nothing,” is the only answer Matthew gives them as he keeps his eyes on his plate to take care of his fish.

He feels like he has dozens of eyes strained on him for the whole rest of the meal but he doesn’t dare raise his head to see what Leon did next. Whatever, that’s no longer any of his business.

○○○

Matthew’s quietly making his way back to his room, alone, when he gets out of the elevator on his floor and immediately gets showed against the nearest wall.

“Ouch,” he complains while rubbing a hand behind his head. When he raises his eyes he’s met with Leon’s death glare. Because of fucking course.

“What the fuck was that about,” he angrily demands.

That’s when he feels pressure on his chest that Matthew notices Leon’s forearm pressed against his upper body. He puts both of his hands on Leon’s arm, forcing it down. He’s a little surprised when Leon lets him do it. He doesn’t take a step back though, staying very much up Matthew’s space.

“You’re surprisingly loud for someone who doesn’t want this whole floor to know that you forgot your tie in my room when we hooked up in St Louis and that I was being a gentleman by returning it to you.”

Matthew quirks an eyebrow when Leon waits for him to be finished before clamping one hand against his mouth. 

“You truly never shut the fuck up, do you ?”

Matthew sighs, his head dropping against the wall behind him. He’s tired, he humiliated himself at dinner and the only thing he wants is a hot shower and his bed. He doesn’t have the time or the energy required to deal with Leon freaking out right now. 

Sure, he’s a pest, a fighter, a running mouth who wouldn’t let anyone step on his foot at any time, always giving as much as he gets. He could mess Leon up, do a quick well placed grab and turn to push his cheek against the wallpaper, show him what’s it’s like to be manhandled around against his will.

Not tonight, though.

His father would probably call him too soft (but his father would probably also disown him if he knew how this all started, so, anyway) but Matthew doesn’t really care.

He doesn’t have a soft spot for Leon, he’s just giving him one free pass. Because maybe that wasn’t the smartest thing to do in front of dozens of people, given their history.

Matthew takes Leon’s hand away from his mouth. “You’re welcome, by the way.”

And then he pushes past Leon to join his room without ever turning back.

○○○

Of course his teammates give him shit about it the next day. Even his captain has to ask him why he gave one of his ties to Leon Draisaitl and Matthew is not about to explain the situation to any of them. He tries to humor everyone and just suffer through the chirps. It’s not like they won’t find a new subject to focus on like tomorrow or something.

○○○

Matthew and Leon run into each other a lot for two players sharing an hotel with at least 200 other people. 

They have different schedules, obviously never training or playing at the same time. They don’t live on the same floor, there are five fucking other teams in the same building.

Fate or whatever doesn’t seem to care and they keep sharing elevator rides and dinner together from afar. Every single time Leon gives him a death stare to which Matthew rolls his eyes. 

He honestly can’t believe he’s being the grown-up between the two of them.

○○○

“You should have stayed until morning, there are some talents of mine you didn’t get to enjoy,” Matthew states on one morning elevator ride, his voice carefree, the way he would have launched any other random conversation.

Leon doesn’t outwardly react but Matthew catches his blush and he counts that as a victory.

Of course he can be a little shit too.

○○○

They defeat the Jets in 4 games and get a couple of days to rest before the beginning of the actual first round. Matthew decides to make the most of it and visit the hotel bar for the first time. 

He knows he would have had at least one night out with the boys to celebrate if this had been classic playoffs. He doesn’t exactly mind not getting it now. His point is not to get fully hammered anyway, he just— wants to have a nice time. That is until he spots Leon on his own at the counter. He knew the Oilers had needed 5 games to take care of the Hawks and that they were still in the competition but it still felt odd to see him out there. A memory immediately flashing to his mind.

Taking one brief second to consider _not_ doing it, Matthew eventually caves in and takes the stool next to the center, gesturing for the barman attention at the same time. Leon groans and Matthew smiles, stays silent while he waits for his beer and is finally able to take his first gulps of alcohol in a while.

He turns his head, studying Leon for a minute until he’s leveled with a glare that doesn’t make him look away. It’s not like Leon couldn’t leave if he really wanted to.

“Looking for someone willing to do some charity work and take you to bed ?” Matthew asks and _oh_ , anger, right there in the hard lines of Leon’s face.

“Fuck you Tkachuk. No wonder you suck at hockey if all you can think about in that stupid brain of yours is sex,” Leon answers, his eyes boring on Matthew. 

“Uh, I’ll let you know I scored 6 points in 4 games.”

“Yeah, I already knew that, thanks.”

It takes a second but then Leon seems to realize what he just said and he hides his face behind his glass. And yeah, of course Matthew looks smug. Best occasion to be.

“So you _do_ care about me.” He takes a look around and then leans forward, one hand on the back of Leon’s stool, delivering his words right inside Leon’s ear. “Is it because I’m the only one who can really give you what you want ? Because I’d be willing to do it again if you wanted too.”

He stays there a couple more seconds, eyes going down to watch the set of Leon’s jaw, the way he seems to tense even more. Matthew didn’t even think that was possible.

Leon finishes his drink in one go and Matthew almost falls when Leon pushes back his seat to get up. “Come close to me one more time and I’ll fucking punch you in the face.”

Matthew holds his stare, which seems to unnerve Leon even more but the Oiler doesn’t add anything and leave Matthew to hang without a good night or anything. Which, rude.

When he goes up to his room a couple of hours later, Matthew finds out that he’s a little proud of himself and horny a lot. He had flirted with Leon to get a rise out of him but the truth is, he actually meant it, the part where he said he’d do it again. 

Once his teeth are brushed and his face cleaned, lying in his bed ready to sleep, Matthew slips one hand inside his boxers to get his dick out, the beginning of interest starting to show. 

As he strokes himself, he lets his memory wander back to that famous night at the All Star Game, when Leon had followed him to his room and pinned him against a wall before kissing him with what Matthew was pretty sure had been desperation the second they had been inside.

Matthew comes with the picture of Leon’s feverish eyes so _so_ focused when he was fucking into him in mind. He can’t manage to be bothered about it.

○○○

The win their first game against the Blues and when he gets back to the hotel, Matthew follows some of the guys to catch the last period of the Oilers/Avs game in Noah’s room.

If Matthew’s focus gets stolen by Leon’s profile whenever he’s on the ice, whatever. He’s beautiful to watch, strength and grace and a way to work around defense that kind of makes Matthew want to be on his wing. For more than ten accidental seconds, anyway. 

He sees Leon grimacing when Zadorov slams him against the boards and Matthew has one moment of sympathy before he hears his teammates snickering and one of them says _Serves him right,_ and Matthew remembers who they are watching. 

The Oilers lose the game 5-2, Matthew gives Leon one last thought and forget about him as he makes his way back to his own room.

○○○

Matthew’s brushing his teeth when he hears someone knocking on his door. He frowns at his mirror, checking his phone but not finding any notification from a teammate saying he was passing by.

The knocking has intensified a little by the time Matthew has rinsed out his mouth and arrived to his front door behind which he finds none other than Leon.

Leon makes a face at him when he finally open the door, judging him for the time he took to answer or something, and then he’s stepping in, not waiting for an invitation before he’s closing the door behind himself.

“Am I correct to assume your offer still stands ?” He starts with and it takes Matthew a couple of seconds to register what this is about. 

A slow smile spreads on his face, his tongue picking out to trace his top lip. “I knew you couldn’t stay away. I’m surprised it took you so long to get here.”

And, like, it’s been 18 days since Matthew first ran into Leon and Connor in that elevator but whatever.

Leon groans and then he’s moving forward, putting one hand one each side of Matthew’s face to push him against one wall of the little corridor at the entrance of his room and force him into a bruising kiss. 

Matthew’s very quick to catch up with the speed, placing his hands on Leon’s hips to bring him flush against him.

Having Leon in his room that first time had been extra interesting because Matthew had been able to find out about a tons of little things. _What Leon could be like in bed, what he was good at, where he was sensitive._

Of course there is still a lot to discover and Matthew will make it his mission to find out more about Leon Draisaitl’s body and how he likes to please and be pleased.

Things get moved to the bed at some point, clothes shed along the way as they end up lying naked together. Leon’s on top, one hand firmly holding Matthew’s face with one hand as he alternates fucking his tongue in his mouth and covering his neck in bites. Matthew tries to protest about the marks that Leon is going to leave and Leon just sink his teeth deeper in answer.

Matthew’s definitely on his way to hard, his dick pushing against Leon’s hip, seeking contact. Leon wraps one hand around him and tugs once, harshly. Matthew hisses, the contact too dry but so _good_ at the same time, and then Leon moves up, taking Matthew’s earlobe between his teeth.

“Can you fuck me like you actually mean it ?” He whispers, low voice directly in Matthew’s ear.

Matthew’s brain short-circuits for a second and then he’s raising an eyebrow at Leon. “Do you really think that’s the kind of challenge I can’t answer to ?”

“I don’t know. I hear a lot of talking but don’t see a lot of acting,” Leon shrugs. And _oh_ , obviously that’s gonna be like that. 

“On your hands and knees, don’t move,” he orders before shoving Leon away and turning around to rummage through his drawer and get the lube and a condom.

He’s pleased to discover that Leon has listened to him when he turns back and he can’t help himself to not let out a low whistle at the view in front of him.

“Can you fucking get on with it ?” Leon presses and Matthew settles behind him, hands roaming over his ass appreciatively.

“Easy, I’ve still got some hockey to play and I can’t be distracted by half of Edmonton trying to kill me because I broke one of their golden boys.”

Leon groans again and try to push back. Matthew grabs the lube and open the bottle to lather some lube on the fingers of his right hand. Then he wraps his other hand on Leon’s hip and starts pushing his index finger inside Leon who doesn’t manage to muffle his hiss at the cold contact.

“I would have taken the time to warm it up but you seemed very eager.”

“I’m good, just keep going.”

And Leon, true to his words, is _good_ , feels _good_ . He accepts Matthew’s finger easily and Matthew doesn’t have to work too much to add the second one. He starts to twist his fingers and Leon doesn’t stop moving until Matthew finds _the_ spot he was looking for and the most beautiful moan falls from Leon’s lips.

Matthew lets Leon fuck himself on his fingers for a minute or two, mesmerized by the sight. Then he’s taking control again, stilling Leon with the hand on his hip and adding a third finger to the first two.

Pushing the last inch of his dick inside Leon’s ass is fucking glorious and Matthew takes a moment to just breathe and appreciate the tight heat enveloping him.

Matthew didn’t get to fuck Leon the last time they were in a bed together but of course today he has the chance to find out Leon’s a pushy bottom. 

He’s got a running commentary going on about what Matthew should do and he’s pushing back against him and Matthew, he doesn’t need all that. He told Leon he could fuck him like he meant it and that’s exactly what he’s going to do. 

Matthew holds Leon’s hips hard, keeping him from being able to move, and after his lazy beginning, he starts fucking Leon earnestly. A particularly well angled thrust has Leon crying out so loud Matthew has a spare sorry thought for his neighbor in the room next door. 

Leon falls to his elbows and Matthew adjusts his angle just fine, sneaking one hand under Leon’s body to jerk him off in time with his thrusts. From that point on, advices and demands are well replaced by moans and a pent-up breath. 

Matthew comes first and he gives all he has left in his last trusts while his orgasm hits him. He’s still buried in Leon when he hears him whine. Matthew realizes he’s stopped the movements of his hand and it barely takes a couple more tugs before Leon’s coming too with the prettiest moan Matthew definitely tries to commit to memory.

“Do you think you’re ever going to move ?” Leon asks when they’ve both been breathing heavily for a while, catching their breath. Matthew can’t believe anyone can be that bitchy during the afterglow but he _is_ still inside of Leon and right, he has to get off, which he finally does with a wince.

Matthew wants to lie down and never move again, his knees aching a little from where they were supporting most of his weight, but he gathers some energy to get up, gets rids of the condom and bring a wet cloth back from the bathroom. 

Leon accepts it wordlessly when Matthew comes back, sitting against the headboard. Most of the mess is in the middle of Matthew’s sheets and he figures he can just throw a clean towel there for the night to avoid the gymnastics of not sleeping in it. 

“So, did that rise up to your expectations ?” Matthew dares to ask once he’s been observing Leon for a minute, his eyes closed with his head lying against the wall. Matthew’s still standing naked next to his bed and he feels oddly self-conscious about that particular fact when Leon opens his eyes and throw him a very obnoxious once-over. 

Matthew does roll on his feet at that, hands on his hips as he puts himself on display. He’s not sure he’s much to look at right now if he goes by the reflection he caught in the bathroom mirror. His dick recovering flaccidly by his hip, the top of his chest covered in teeth marks and the beginning of bruises, his lips puffed from having been kissed and bitten, his hair askew from sweat and the way Leon tugged on his curls when he was latching on his neck.

With a grace that shouldn’t be possible that close after an orgasm, Leon doesn’t answer but gets up from the bed to go grab his clothes and put them on. When he’s done, he comes to stand in front of Matthew, raises his hand to put it around Matthew’s jaw in what’s almost already becoming an habit. 

He uses the hold of his fingers to move Matthew’s head around, seemingly admiring his handy work, and Matthew— he lets him do it. It should maybe makes him vulnerable but it doesn’t, not really. Sure, Leon did all that to him but that’s because Matthew let him, because Matthew made him get here, Matthew had him writhing under his hands and coming on his dick. 

Anyway, Leon can take in what he did, Matthew’s breath can hitch when his fingers tighten just a little and it’s okay.

“Not bad”, Leon eventually says before letting go and Matthew struggles for a second to remember what this was about.

And then, just as easily as Leon had came in, he leaves Matthew’s room, closing the door behind him without a goodbye or a good night. 

○○○

Leon ignores him at lunch the next day, because _obviously_ , and Matthew tries to not be surprised and disappointed but he mostly fails.

He lets his teammates distract him to the most of their abilities. It’s hard to keep Leon out from his brain when he still has the hickey Leon placed below his collarbone throbbing under his shirt. 

When he’s done with his meal and ready to make a brief passage through his room before joining a team meeting, Matthew takes a deep breath and goes to Leon’s table, placing both of his hands on the back of Leon’s chair.

Matthew knows he has the attention of the whole table on him and it reminds him of the scene he caused a couple days before. This time though, Matthew knows what he’s doing and he’s actually glad to be watched. 

After a second, he smiles and leans in to whisper his words directly in Leon’s ear. “Living in your head looks fucking exhausting.”

He sees Leon gritting his teeth but he doesn’t wait for an answer. Turning on his heels and walking in direction of the lobby without a second thought.

○○○

After that, Matthew lets it go because again, he’s the grown-up in this relationship. 

It’s been 3 days since their hook-up when he tells Jake about it over Skype, his hand playing with the strings of his shorts. 

“Wait, is this about the guy you had hate sex with at the All Star Game ?” Jake asks and Matthew freezes a little.

It had taken a while for him to eventually show his face and give up on his false name to reveal his true identity. He trusted Jake with his secret but he wasn’t going to out Leon.

“Sorry, I know I said I barely cared about hockey and that’s still the case. My brother loves the Blues though, and he made me go to the All Star Game with him in january. Obviously I didn’t understand much about the game but he told me about your rivalry, gave me some history and everything. And that look this guy threw you, the _Fuck you_ and the big smile you sent him back ? Matty please, that was like the intro to a porn video. I need to get more into hockey if that’s how you guys are.”

Jake wiggles his eyebrows at the end, the hand not supporting his head travelling lazily up and down his chest. And Matthew, he called Jake to have an orgasm, not an existential crisis about how he and Leon had looked hours before they had actually hooked up for the first time.

“Okay, my class on the homoeroticism of sports is not happening today, whatever. So you slept with this other player six months ago and he came knocking at your door the other day to fuck you again. Now he’s ignoring you like you were just some boy toy there for him to use ? Fuck that guy.”

Matthew frowns when Jake mentions the idea of Leon _using him_. It makes something resembling shame and anger burn in his stomach. He tries to push past it, that’s not why he called, he doesn’t want to be thinking about Leon right now. “Yeah, fuck him. He’s just as terrible as his team anyway.”

Jake laughs, his fingers slippings his boxers out of his legs. Matthew’s brain seem to settle again at the sight of Jake’s dick, his mouth watering a little. Jake lies further down his pillow, right hand firmly stroking himself as he lets out a low groan. Matthew feels his own dick getting up to life and fuck, he really managed to hit the jackpot on fucking Grindr.

“I can’t believe this guy,” Jake moans. Matthew’s pretty sure he’s always giving a show. Actually they both know he does. They also both know Matthew loves it. “Me, I have you in my hotel almost 24/7 ? I’m never letting you get out of bed.”

Matthew chuckles, his pride thriving under the words. He takes his underwear off and makes a move for the lube on his bedside table. “Yeah, and what would you do to me ?”

Jake smirks and he gives Matthew the most detailed experience, throwing him a couple of instructions with his praises. _Don’t touch yourself. Add another finger. You look so fucking good. Fuck yourself Matty, get yourself off for me._

Matthew comes and ends up lying on his bed in a bliss, Leon Draisaitl long forgotten in the farthest corner of his mind.

○○○

Life follows patterns, or so people say. Maybe some scientist actually proved the process, Matthew doesn’t know. That could explain why Leon ends up coming back to him the next day, running to catch the same elevator as Matthew after breakfast.

Silent fills the small space until Leon decides to speak up. 

“What are you doing tonight ?” 

And Matthew, he should tell him to go fuck himself but he’s curious. “When exactly ?” 

Leon frowns, looking exasperated by the question and Matthew almost wants to remind him that he started this and doesn’t get to be annoyed. “I don’t know. Around 9 ?” 

“Pretty free for now,” Matthew shrugs.

Leon doesn’t comment until they reach the 8th floor and he gets out, turning around to look at Matthew before the doors of the elevator get to close. “834.” 

Matthew blinks and it takes him a moment to register that their exchange was actually an invitation. _What the hell._

○○○

Matthew takes him up on his offer. Because if Leon has been a dick the last few days, he still has this strange sort of affection for the guy. Matthew doesn’t know if Leon is a deeply unassuming gay man, if he just hates him or if it’s a mix of both, but he doesn’t really care. 

Leon opens the door and he takes a moment to study Matthew, as if he was actually surprised that Matthew had come. “You look like shit”, he states in lieu of a greeting.

Matthew’s wearing a Flames t-shirt and Flames sweatpants. _And what about it_. 

“Is that really how you’re gonna get me in your pants again ?” Matthew deadpans. 

Leon frowns, the disapproving look Matthew knows too well settling on his features before he pushes the door closes and back Matthew up against it. Matthew lets his head thump lightly against the wood, tilting his face to the side to look at Leon from under his lashes. _What now._

Leon wraps his hand around Matthew’s jaw and then he’s kissing him with a passion Matthew hadn’t expected. He would have loved to put up a fight, to show Leon and to prove to himself that he wasn’t always at Leon’s disposal. 

Except Matthew wants it too. Leon pressing his fingers against his sides and biting his way from collarbone to collarbone. It makes him feels alive and Matthew wants _more_ . It can’t be that bad if it makes _him_ feel so good, right ?

They kiss and Leon bites love marks on Matthew’s skin, his throat, the outline of his jaw. _I want to blow you_ , he admits quietly directly in Matthew’s ear and Matthew shudders, his blood going south. 

There wasn’t much Matthew had expected from this meeting but on his list he clearly hadn’t put Leon going to his knees for him and fucking him agonizingly slow afterwards. 

○○○

Matthew has a game the next day, early in the afternoon. They win while Matthew puts on two points and he’s in the best of moods when he gets down for dinner.

He spots Leon at the vegetables station from afar and he pauses for a second, unsure if he should go in or not. He’d left Leon’s in the middle of the night because he didn’t want to risk meeting any Oiler in the morning but it wasn’t like Leon had asked him to stay anyway.

Yesterday night has been beyond great, Leon the most tender and dedicated Matthew has ever seen him during sex. Matthew doesn’t want the memory to be tarnished by Leon avoiding him again the next day.

Matthew ends up deciding to take his chance, joining Leon’s side to pick some beans.

“That was a nice goal out there. See, you actually have a nice backhand when you want to,” Leon says, meeting Matthew’s gaze with a smile.

The compliment freezes Matthew on the spot and he barely manages a _thanks_ before Leon’s leaving to find his teammates.

It takes a moment but Matthew eventually moves to his table, weird smile over his features which gets him chirps from the guys when he sits down with them. They get bored after a few minutes and move on to something else. Matthew can’t quite follow, his brain solely focused on that ridiculously tiny exchange.

So now Leon also knew about how _not_ to disappoint. What was he supposed to do about it.

(Yes, the bar is very low but the dick wants what the dick wants, or something.)

○○○

From that point on, he meets with Leon almost every day, either in Leon’s room or in his. They give each other their number and all their exchanges consist of trying to figure out when they’re both free to meet.

Leon always fuck like he has something to prove. He’s so intense in everything he does, it almost makes Matthew dizzy sometimes. They don’t go _too_ hard because they’re both playing playoff hockey every other day but the experience is always breathtaking all the same.

They acknowledge each other when they cross paths out of bed, a brief nod, the outline of a smirk. It surprises Matthew, how civil they can be when sex isn’t involved. He always expects Leon to bite his head off and stop the whole thing.

Matthew keeps his concerns and his questions for himself.

That ending moment never comes.

○○○

○○○

The Flames move on to the second round and they decide to celebrate a little. Considering the fact that the team they just eliminated is sharing the same hotel as them, they skip the bar and order some bottles/raid their mini-bars to have a couple of drinks in Gio’s room.

Someone brought their speaker and they also have some food to go with the music and the beers. Matthew does a couple of shots with Noah and Sanny, and he feels good. He will admit that he’s at least tipsy when he decides to text Leon.

In the ten or so days they’ve been doing whatever they are doing, he and Leon have tried to keep the hockey talk to a bare minimum. Sure, they sometimes comment on each other nice accomplishments, congratulating a sick goal or a pretty assist, and it’s kind of hard to forget in which context they’re here, but still.

It’s not like there is a lot of talking anyway. They text to figure out when they can meet and Leon’s on Matthew pretty much the second the door is closed behind them. There are some confessions happening once in awhile, random things Matthew will admit when they’re both lying in bed, catching their breath and waiting for their energy to come back for a second round. 

Leon mostly hums in answer, sometimes groans a _shut up_ that Matthew knows he doesn’t mean. If it’s a good day he’ll share something of his own too that will always make Matthew smile. It’s… Surprisingly nice.

Matthew will deny it to anyone but he actually pouts. He didn’t want sex _that bad_ (and he can call Jake and use his own hands to get some) but the answer still leaves him a little disappointed.

The emoji is easy to send but the sober part of his brain has to catch him and write a new text before he sends a _good luck, hope you go through_ back.

○○○

The Avs eliminate the Oilers from the playoffs in six games. Matthew’s in front of the TV in his bedroom when he watches Leon and Connor moving down the handshake line with matching grim faces.

There’s a little twinge in his chest that he’s not sure he wants to study too closely. He knows having the team he hates the most be eliminated is supposed to make him happy _but_. Whatever. Matthew sees his phone light up with notifications, teammates commenting the news in their group chat, but he decides to ignore them in order to take a shower and shake his weird feeling off.

While he has the spray of water beating against his back, Matthew ponders whether or not he should text Leon. There’s a part of him that wants to say something (sorry ? sorry texts didn’t do much to him when the Flames were eliminated from the series last year but maybe it’s just the thought which counts) and another part that just wants to laugh at how silly that would be. 

He should just let the man lick his wounds on his own if he wants to and maybe they won’t manage to catch each other before Leon has to leave but whatever. It’s not a big deal.

Matthew doesn’t have to think about it for too long because it’s Leon who comes to him about an hour and a half later. His impatience is so loud when he knocks on the door, Matthew knows it’s him before he even sees the Oiler.

Leon gives him one second to recognize him, slamming the door behind him with a jerk of his foot and then he’s throwing himself on Matthew, one hand on either side of his face and his mouth capturing Matthew’s lips in a bruising kiss.

Matthew staggers at the impact and he has to grab Leon’s shoulders with both of his hands to avoid falling to the ground. It doesn’t last for long though, Leon quick to push him back in the room until Matthew’s knees touch the bed and his back hit the mattress the next second. 

The movement is not fast enough for Matthew’s breath to be knocked out of him but he does feel dizzy for a second, like he’s having a hard time catching up to Leon’s rhythm. Leon doesn’t give him a break, using the one hand he has in Matthew’s curls to pull his head back and latch on his throat, covering the skin with bites so close, Matthew barely has the time to recover from the sting of one before Leon has moved on to the next.

“Leon--” Matthew groans, pushing his shoulder to try to get his attention. 

“Oh my god,” Leon fucking growls at him in answer. “Do I really have to tell you when it’s better for you to shut up ?”

Matthew tenses, his nails digging in Leon’s forearm where he’s still gripping him. The light coming from the bedside table is more than enough for Matthew to look at Leon, watch the way his eyes are dark with anger, his cheeks red from where he rubbed them against Matthew’s beard when he was biting at his jaw. 

He’s lost for a second, not sure why he’s getting frustrated when biting each other’s head off is all they’ve always ever done. “Fuck you,” he eventually says, hooking one ankle behind Leon’s calf to overthrow him and reverse their position. He takes advantages of his position on top to take off his shirt and force Leon to raise his arms so he can take care of his. 

He fucking knows how to be in charge too, after all.

The cry of pleasure Matthew gets out of Leon’s mouth when he sinks down on his cock is the most satisfying sound in the world. _See who can’t shut the fuck up now._ Matthew uses the leverage he has with his knees to rise up and roll down again, keeping the moans falling from Leon’s throat. Two large hands grabs at his hips and Matthew already know that his skin will bruise.

Matthew decides to tease, _because when doesn’t he love to_ , moving up and down Leon’s cock leisurely, pausing to move in circles that allows him to massage his prostate in the most beautiful way. 

“Fucking tease,” Leon groans. And he must have gotten tired of Matthew dictating their rhythm because he lifts Matthew off his cock, roll them around to get back on top and pin Matthew’s arms above his head, one big hand around his wrists.

Matthew cries at the first trust, surprised. He’s used to Leon being rough, gets off on it, but _this_ , this is a brutal force he didn’t see coming, so hard it almost feels punishing. Matthew tries to adjust the best he can. There’s no pillow under his hips so he’s having trouble keeping his back in a position that doesn’t hurt. He hisses when Leon settles his other hand against a bruise on his ribs.

 _Breathe Matthew, fucking breathe, you’re into this, come on,_ he tries to convince his brain. The thing is, it’s pretty hard to do so when he can’t touch his dick and he can’t even kiss Leon because Leon has buried his face in Matthew’s neck. 

Leon’s still trusting his cock inside of him but it feels unfocused in the worst kind of way. He’s not hitting the right spot and he’s holding Matthew too tight and it’s _too much_. “Leon - Leon, you need to stop, you’re hurting me, I need you to slow do-” Matthew’s plea gets cut by a cry when Leon squeezes too hard on his injured side. 

And Matthew, once upon a time, he could have been persuaded to keep going, could have persuaded _himself_ that he could keep going because he started this and his partner deserves to get off. Except Matthew’s no longer a timid scrawny kid and now he knows _better_.

Much like he did a little earlier to get on a top, Matthew uses his legs to put Leon’s back to the bed and get off his cock with a pained hiss. When Leon looks at him, he appears confused and _fuck fuck fuck_ , this is not how he imagined the night going.

Matthew decides to back up a little, still on the bed but with a couple of feet between him and Leon and the cover gathered over his knees. “You were hurting me,” he starts after a deep breath and the frown on Leon’s face makes him want to fucking disappear. “You weren’t listening to me, I had to stop you.”

His right hand is absent-mindedly caressing his injured ribs and Leon’s eyes seem to zero in on the bruise there. “Fuck,” he whispers. “Fuck Matthew,” he continues, louder. “I-- I’m really sorry, I didn’t mean to.”

He makes a tentative move to try to touch Matthew but Matthew withdraws some more. Leon looks hurt. And yeah sure, Matthew knows. 

Leon passes his hands over his face and Matthew hears him swearing some more before he’s getting up, looking for his clothes. “I’m sorry Matthew, I’m gonna go. We’re checking out our rooms tomorrow, I swear you won’t see me until whenever the league comes back.”

“Stop,” Matthew orders and he’s almost shocked he manages to do it with such authority. “Do you want to talk ?” There’s a part of him that just wants to bury himself deep in the covers and not move until the next day but it mostly feels wrong to leave the situation between them like that for months.

“Are you sure ?” Leon asks and Matthew has never seen him so uncertain in his life. 

“Wouldn’t offer otherwise,” he confirms after a nod. “Look, I’m gonna give you clothes that aren’t from the suit you left your game with. Then I’m gonna take a shower, leave you alone hoping you don’t run off, and after that we’ll talk. Sounds good ?”

Leon nods and Matthew keeps the sheet tied around his waist as he rummages through his drawers to find sweatpants and a t-shirt that are not Flames branded to hand them over to Leon. “You can grab a bottle of water in the mini-bar and I have snacks in the box on my desk.”

○○○

Matthew isn’t sure how long he stays under the shower, hot water burning his body and settling him. Could be fifteen minutes or an hour for all he knows, enough for his skin to wrinkle anyway.

He tries to not think too much about the discussion is about to have with Leon. Figures out most of the talking is going to have to be from him anyway.

He stays wrapped in his towel for longer than usual and then he takes it off, putting on clean underwear, his comfiest pair of sweatpants and one of his favourite t-shirt (a black one with a stupid star wars meme that Taryn had offered him at last Christmas).

When he comes back in his room, Matthew finds Leon sitting cross-legged on his bed, bottle of water in one hand, phone in the other. He lifts his head when he hears Matthew and tries a tentative smile.

Matthew goes to sit on the bed with him, within arm’s length.

“Look, I don’t know what happened. I didn’t mean to hurt you, I’m sorry,” Leon starts and after a moment of hesitation, Matthew puts his hand on Leon’s knee.

“I’m okay. Don’t beat yourself over it, I just want us to understand why it happened so you can prevent it from ever happening again. With anyone.”

“Yeah, okay, sure,” Leon nods, his eyes not exactly on Matthew. “I’ve tried to organize everything but it’s probably going to be a mess anyway. Ask me questions if you need to I guess ?”

Matthew squeezes Leon’s knee in answer, aiming for reassuring, and he decides to let his hand there for the time being.

“I broke up with Celeste during lockdown. She’s- she was, my girlfriend. We’d been dating for almost four years. I-- I was with her when we slept together in january.”

Leon looks up at Matthew, obviously trying to gauge his reaction. Matthew doesn’t have much to tell him though. Would he have thought of Leon has the type of guy who could cheat on his girlfriend ? Probably not. Does he feel bad that he helped him cheat ? Not one once. That was on him one hundred percent.

“Our break-up had been in the building for like, a year ? It was gradually harder to find time just for the two of us, making time looked like a hassle I didn’t want to put efforts into. Our dates were pretty scarce and we barely had sex. We were still sleeping in the same bed, kissing each other good morning and good night. The moments we’d go past that were started by her most of the time and I found myself not enjoying it more than like, what can happen once in awhile in regular relationships. Sometimes I would come back home drunk or high off a victory and I’d instigate some action, but a point came where I just tried to avoid sex if I could. Summer was tacky but then I had hockey back and I could use the excuse of being tired. We were still not talking too much, she would go see her family for entire weeks at a time and I was relieved. We ended up being roommates who shared a bed and kissed each other twice a day because it was part of their routine.”

There’s a pause and Leon toys with the bottle of water still in his bed before getting a few sips in. “Why didn’t you break-up earlier ?” Matthew prompts when Leon looks unsure whether he should continue or not.

“To be honest ? Because we were really dumb. To be more true to life ? Because we’d had three years of really good time. We’d been living together for as long as I could remember, our families knew each other, our friends too. I spent almost my whole adult life with her, it was kind of all I knew. I guess we both thought it was a phase and that things would magically get better at some point but obviously it didn’t. Lockdown was the last drop in an already too full vase and she eventually left to join her family towards the end of April.”

“So I was just a sex relief occasion who crossed your way when things were really shitty with your girlfriend ?” Matthew asks and the grimace is immediate on Leon’s features.

Matthew had often wondered, after the All Star Game, why Leon had done it with him. It could have been considered a stupid question with an answer just as stupid like _well, same reason as you, dummy_. Except Matthew had always been pretty sure that hadn’t been the case.

That night in St. Louis, Matthew flirted with Leon because he’d caught the eyes lingering too long on his body. There was annoyance and there was disdain and there was _lust_ . Matthew knew how to make the difference. Luring Leon into his room had been a challenge, _where will it stop_ , _where are his limits._ Sure, Matthew hated Leon’s guts when they were on the ice together, punched him and chirped him meanly and shit : that was hockey.

Outside of the ice, it’s a whole other story. Leon has never given him much to work with but it has been for Matthew’s instincts to trust him. Whether or not he’s been right will probably be figured out at the end of their conversation.

“Sorry. I-- yes, kind of,” Leon answers and he does look embarrassed and sorry. Matthew’s not sure why he should apologize. It’s not like he hadn’t enjoyed himself too. “The thing is, you weren’t my first time with a guy, you knew that, right ?” And Matthew rolls his eyes at that, no one’s _that_ good for his first time, of course he knew. His reaction gets him a small smile from Leon. “Okay, good. Anyway. I found out I was bi when I was in highschool. I dated girls and I never _explicitly_ dated a guy but I experienced, I know what I like, knew what I wanted to get good at.”

The last part makes them both smile and Leon seems to hesitate for a moment before linking his fingers with the hand Matthew had kept on his knee.

“Then I was drafted by Edmonton and you know how it is. I knew dating guys would be risky as hell so I figured : I like girls, right ? So I’m gonna stick with them at least while my career is still going on and we’ll see after. I met Celeste during my rookie year and it got me through the last years. Which bring us to you.”

Matthew instantly straightens his back, moving a little closer. He hadn’t expected for Leon to tell him that many things about his life and while he’s happy to take every single bit of information in, what Leon thinks about him, about _them_ , is something Matthew can’t miss.

“You’re fucking infuriating, you know that ? I saw that interview of your dad saying that you had a very punchable face or something and I was like, yeah, absolutely. Then I figured it was pretty nasty of your dad to say that about his son but at first I just had to agree. You have this way of getting under people’s skin and you’re so _good_ at it. You’re not the only one in the league and I’m not the only player you have that effect on but I don’t know, there’s always been something about you in particular that unsettled me.”

Leon almost sounds annoyed and protective when he talks about Matthew’s dad and Matthew does his best to try to stay focused because yeah, even though he’ll never admit it to anyone, he’d never found his father’s words funny like the rest of the World. To have someone acknowledging that, it makes him feel something he can’t examine right now.

“And that night, you were here at the bar and you looked so fucking good. I’m not even going to ask because I already know you know you look incredible, you carry yourself like you do. I wasn’t that drunk, I’m not gonna blame it on alcohol, but you were here and you were openly flirting with me. One part of me wanted to shut you up and the other just wanted to be filthy with you in hundreds of ways. Because again, fuck, Matthew, look at you.” 

Matthew’s blushing when he catches the heat behind Leon’s eyes and he ducks his head a little, hiding the evidence of how Leon’s compliments are affecting him.

“That night we spent together was the best thing that had happened to me in forever. It took me weeks to understand how I felt about it the next days. There was denying how much I had enjoyed it but I also felt guilty and annoyed with myself that it had to happen with you, of all people.”

Matthew can’t help the slow whine that escapes his throat and Leon squeezes his hand. “Sorry, you know how things were between us back then. You’re the only person I cheated on Celeste with. I could have, there were occasion on the roads but- it never felt right. And I obviously couldn’t get with anyone after Celeste and I broke up.”

 _So I’m the only other person you’ve slept with beside your ex-girlfriend in the last years_. Great, and what was he supposed to do with that information exactly.

“Seeing you here, that was… Weird ? Let’s settle on that for now. I know we’ve played against each other since the All Star Game but it was on the ice. The ice makes it all easy. Seeing you on that elevator ? In a hotel we were both staying at, of all places ? That fucked me up a little. Reminded me of a lot of things I’d tried to put aside.”

 _You and me both, buddy,_ Matthew thinks but does not voice out loud. He hadn’t been in that denial mindset Leon was explaining but the hotel context sure made him think about that january adventure more than he did during the previous six months.

“So you’re here,” Leon continues. “And I’m single and I can’t stop thinking about the night we spent together and how good it had been. Except you’re still you and I’m still an NHL player and sleeping with guys still sounds dangerous and something to avoid. So I just figured that I’d keep ignoring you, lure you away even though you didn’t seem very into that. Thank you for that morning you made me spent breakfast horny by the way.”

So Matthew hadn’t been wrong about the blush caused by his pretty _You should have stayed until morning, there are some talents of mine you didn’t get to enjoy_. Good.

“And my fucking tie ? For God’s sake Matty, I still have no idea what came through your mind ?” Leon raises his eyebrows at him. Matthew shrugs, blushing, to this day he didn’t have any idea either. “You can’t imagine the shit the guys gave me for this. I was grilled for hours. But I guessed I had this new reason to hate you a little more and I wouldn't be tempted if I found you even more odious.” He pauses to laugh. “Apparently it was enough only until that Avs game that was just fucking terrible. I got back to the hotel and I was restless and annoyed and literally pacing in my room because I couldn’t stay still. Tried to jerk off to relax but my mind went to you and I knew which room you were in from the night I came after you following the tie accident and -- Well, you know what happened next.”

The silence that follows feels more like Leon giving him time to process rather than him needing a break before the next part. 

And the things is, Matthew had kind of already guessed that Leon coming into his room that first time had probably been about him needing to blow off his frustration. The timing and his whole attitude that night had been pretty telling.

“I guess you went back to your denial/I can’t do that phase right after. Which -- Admittedly I expected it from you but it still kind of sucked,” Matthew admits with a frown. “Made you coming back to me on your own after very strange and unexpected.”

Or like, Leon coming back _again_ hadn’t been a surprise per se, because : patterns, and the fact that Matthew had also guessed some parts about the Leon struggling with the guy thing.

“ _Yeah_ ,” Leon drags the word a little, as if it could postpone the rest of his sentence for a couple more seconds. “The first days I basically went through the same cycle of thoughts as the first time after the All Star. Then I figured : fuck it. You’re here, I’m clearly enjoying myself when I’m sleeping with you, I don’t know when I’ll have the occasion to have this again so let’s make the most of it.”

Matthew doesn’t know if it’s the way Leon worded his thoughts that makes it weird but listening to his last admissions, Matthew’s stomach does a pretty unpleasant thing and he can’t help but think back on that discussion with Jake when Jake said that Leon was using him. Presented like that, it kind of sounded like it was exactly what he did.

“Is this why you lost control tonight ? Because you were mad about your elimination, sure, but also because it was the last time you had me at your disposal to have your big great stress relieving gay sex ?”

Leon frowns and touching him feels weird all of a sudden. Matthew retrieves his hand, putting it back on his lap.

“I-- No, I mean, yeah I was mad about the elimination and I was not happy about this having to end but like-- it was not the way you described it.”

“Right, but since I’m such an awful human being, if you’d found any other person in this hotel willing to have sex you enjoyed basically whenever possible, you’d have ditched me immediately, am I wrong ?”

His tone isn’t mad, per se, more on the side of disappointed, to be quite honest, which : weird. Matthew hadn’t expected a lot from Leon, it was not like they had exactly discussed what they’d been doing at any point but the idea of Leon coming back to him only because Matthew was _available_ and _practical_ and hot enough, that didn’t seem right.

“We’re being honest with each other here, aren’t we ? Please answer,” Matthew pushes and his throat feels a little raw. He’s not about to cry or something but his body is not liking the turn this has taken either.

“You can’t ask that,” Leon starts and he sighs when he catches Matthew’s stare saying _that’s not enough_. “I don’t know. I-- I can’t say no if you want me to be one hundred percent honest. I wish I could but I don’t know Matthew, it’s not that simple.”

As expected, the words sting and Matthew has to get up, go grab something to drink to put more distance between the two of them and have something to do with his hands. His back is to Leon when Leon starts talking again.

“What about you ? Why did you keep doing it ?” 

“This isn’t about me,” he answers to the mini fridge while he looks at its content. His eyes linger on the mini bottle of vodka for a second but he retrieves a bottle of water.

“This is a two-way street, Matthew.”

His senses of self-preservation are screaming at him that he shouldn’t expose his feelings when he’s already made himself so vulnerable but Matthew knows he has to. Not losing his _responsible grown-up_ etiquette today. He turns around to face Leon, his arms tight around himself.

“Well, I kept doing it because you kept coming back ? And I kept thinking that you were gonna stop this at any moment so I tried to make the most of it every time. Obviously the sex was good but… I didn’t mind that it was happening with you. Actually, I… I was glad it did.” 

There’s something unreadable that flicks on Leon’s face and Matthew once again wants to fucking disappear.

“I don’t hate you the way you think I do. And I have this little hope that you don’t hate me as much as you want to pretend to,” Matthew admits with what feels like the very last bits of energy his body has. He remembers the bottle in his right hand and uncaps it to drink half of the content, calming himself.

“I’m not like in love with your or some shit. It’s just that I felt like I was getting to know you and appreciate you a little more, which was nice. And I thought that it was maybe a little mutual but anyway, it obviously wasn’t.” 

Leon looks hurt and Matthew would like to say he doesn’t really have a right to. It’s a little annoying. He keeps his mouth shut though, waiting for Leon to react to what ended up being way more of a declaration than Matthew intended it to be. Matthew’s looking at the ground but he catches the movement from the corner of his eyes when Leon decides to stand up to join him.

“Can I touch you ?” Leon asks so softly it makes Matthew feels like a scared wild animal for a second. When he looks up at Leon, he’s the softest he’s ever looked, Matthew’s shirt a little too tight on his shoulders and dark circles the size of Canada under his eyes.

Matthew hesitates for a second but then he eventually nods and watches as Leon takes a step forward to carefully wrap Matthew in a hug, his arms around Matthew’s shoulders and his nose close to Matthew’s cheek. 

“I’m sorry,” he starts. Matthew tenses up. He doesn’t think he can listen to Leon apologizing to him one more time this evening. “I don’t hate you. I think I wished I did because it would have made everything much easier but you’re right, I don’t.”

His heart decides to act up, thumping hard inside his chest, and that’s when Matthew realizes he still has his arms around himself, Leon’s chest pressing lightly against them. After a minute of Leon drawing circles with one hand on his back, Matthew decides to put his fingers around Leon’s waist, bottle of water falling to the floor. 

“ _Fuck_ ,” he whispers against Leon’s neck and he feels a kiss being pressed against his temple. Matthew lets his hands travel to Leon’s back, hugging him fiercely and clothing his eyes to breath him in at the same time, no ounce of will to fight left in his body.

It feels a little dramatic but Matthew doesn’t really care. He doesn’t know how long they stay like this but he startles a little when Leon speaks up again, his words mumbled against the side of Matthew’s head. “Will you let me stay for the night ?” 

Matthew nods. “When do you have to leave ?”

“We have one last meeting at 2pm but we have to give back our keys by noon. It won’t take me long to pack though.” 

“Okay, good,” Matthew kisses Leon’s neck before detaching himself from him. His only obligation tomorrow is also a team gathering in the afternoon so he’s good to hang out with Leon in the morning if that’s what he wants. 

When they’ve settled in bed and have turned off the lights, Leon calls his name and Matthew is honest to god scared that Leon is going to try to apologize again. Except he doesn’t do any of that, just extend his hand to touch Matthew’s skin and Matthew decides to take it as a sign. He’s not sure where they stand, is emotionally drained and doesn’t have the energy necessary to analyse what they just went through. 

He will figure things tomorrow. For now, Matthew can just rolls around so he’s on his stomach, left arm around Leon’s waist, head on his chest, hair tickling his chin. Leon wraps one arm around his back and there’s a kiss pressed against the crown of his head, a “good night” whispered against his curls.

Matthew falls asleep in under a minute.

○○○

When he wakes up the next morning, Matthew’s in the same position that he fell asleep in, Leon drawing patterns against his back with his fingertips. A shiver runs through Matthew when Leon grazes his skin with his nails and he smiles against Leon’s torso.

Leon blushes a little when Matthew raises his head to meet his eyes, the gentlest smile Matthew has ever seen on him gracing his face. “Hey,” Matthew says, his voice a little rough from sleep.

“Hey,” Leon answers and his fingers are still sliding across Matthew’s spine when Matthew decides to lay his head back onto Leon’s chest, the fingers he has against Leon’s ribs mirroring the ones on his back.

One look at the clock in the room tells him it’s not 9 yet and that means they have some time ahead of them. They’ll need to move at some point so Leon can take care of his room and Matthew will need to go pee in some near future but for now, he can stay there a few more minutes.

“What are you going to do now ?” he asks after a moment.

“Head back to my place here. I have a couple of things to take care of before I can leave Edmonton. I should be able to get on a plane to Germany by the end of next week though. I don’t know yet how long I’ll stay there given the circumstances of this year but I need to see my family for awhile.”

Matthew hums, realizes he doesn’t know anything about Leon’s family so he asks him about them and Leon delivers. He talks about his sister and his parents and his friends in Cologne, what he misses from there when he’s here in Canada. 

It’s nice, listening to Leon’s voice as he shares facts about his personal life. His hand drifts down until the small of Matthew’s back and up. Matthew knows that he’s getting a little interested in some action, his dick making itself known against Leon’s hip, but there’s nothing urgent and neither of them do anything about it.

Matthew eventually gets up to use the bathroom and when he comes back, he takes a minute to study Leon, the long lines of his body in Matthew’s bed, the glory of all his muscles on display. He looks way more settled and calm than yesterday but the dark circles are still here and Matthew finds himself worrying a little. He knows he slept in one go last night but he wasn’t so sure Leon’s night went the same way.

“Want to join me under the shower ?” Matthew offers and it’s almost comedy romantic worthy, the way his eyebrows shoot up and his eyes sparkles when he gets up to join Matthew.

They end up trading lazy kisses and more enthusiastic handjobs under the spray of water. When they’re both done panting against each other’s neck, Leon grabs the shower gel to lather it up Matthew’s body, massaging his skin and being extra careful around his bruised ribs. 

It’s so sweet and at odds with what Matthew always got from Leon, it strongly feels like he’s trying to make up for the night before. Matthew doesn’t call him up on it, just let himself be manhandled around the shower, closing his eyes when Leon warns him he’s gonna rinse out the shampoo now.

Once they’re finished, they still have a solid half hour in front of them that they decide to spend in the same position they were in before the shower.

“Call me, yeah ?” Matthew asks after he’s explained that he’s not sure yet what his plans are going to be after the playoffs. At some point, they definitely need to talk more about what happened those last few weeks. Leon nods and Matthew decides he can lighten the mood because he doesn’t want them to leave each other on a heavy note. “I’ve been told I’m very good at phone sex.” 

“Don’t tease,” Leon groans. “We don’t have time for this.”

Matthew smiles at that, biting a kiss into Leon’s neck anyway. He knows they should probably take a break on all the sex stuff while they try to figure out what they’re doing but it’d felt right to push Leon against the tiled wall to kiss him and Matthew doesn’t have regrets for now. They’re gonna be apart for quite some time after today, he can start his new resolution in an hour.

“You’ll root me, right ?” He decides to continue with.

“I’ll root for whichever Eastern Conference team reach the final.” 

“So much for Team Pacific.”

“I think Team Pacific did enough as it is, hm ?”

And Matthew can’t help himself, he has to lean up to kiss Leon. When Leon deepens the kiss, using one hand to hold Matthew’s jaw, thumb caressing his cheek, it feels like some kind of promise Matthew can’t explain. 

“Keep the clothes, I’m gonna find you a plastic bag for your suit,” Matthew indicates when they both finally managed to leave Matthew’s bed because Leon didn’t have that much time to take care of his things.

Leon will just have to hope he doesn’t run into anyone noticing he’s wearing dress shoes with his sweatpants. That would still be less suspicious than him in a suit at 11 in the morning anyway.

“I’ll call you,” Leon says after he’s kissed Matthew goodbye at his door.

It’s so domestic, it has Matthew thinking about it the whole day.

○○○

Matthew doesn’t mean to check his phone before they go out on the ice to play their first game of the Stanley Cup Finals. He already knows that it’s full with messages of support from his friends and family, he shouldn’t dive in them now and lose his focus. 

There’s still one string of texts that grabs his attention when he lights up his home screen and he has to do a triple-take to be sure that he’s reading the name of the sender correctly. 

If he smiles like a fool while he finishes tying up his skates, no one’s got to know why.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> I have ideas for a follow-up fic, haven't started it yet but eh, who knows, maybe one day.


End file.
